I caught the opening night of the Belfry’s If You Could Read My Mind: The Songs of Gordon Lightfoot the other night. Fans of the Belfry will remember I think I’m Fallin’:Songs of Joni Mitchell a few years back, so if you recall that show, you’ll have an idea of what to expect from this one.
For those of you who didn’t catch Fallin’, these shows are not strictly plot driven and instead focus on the music music of the respective artists, and gives the audience little moments of action between the cast members in specific songs. I found last night’s performance to be a sweet love letter to music of Gordon Lightfoot. My friend described it as a musical variety show akin to those you might see on TV in the 70s, and in the best way, that feels about right.
The performers were all incredibly adept in their musical prowess, each bringing their own style and flavour to the pieces. Their harmonies were spectacular, and the sense of fun when they would bring in percussion from items around the stage was really quite infectious. I really cannot commend enough the skill of these actors/musicians, all deftly grabbing multiple instruments throughout and playing them with apparent ease.
One area that I struggled with somewhat was the difference in performance styles between those who came from acting backgrounds, and those who were musicians first. There is a difference in performance styles that (at least from where I was sitting) could easily see that didn’t always match. In one scene, an actor gazes lovingly at another, only to have them focusing on their performance. It created a sense of uncertainty, was this supposed to be more of a staged theatre show or instead a concert?
In order to keep the show flowing, the artists would often step into the scene and start the next song on the following beat. While this did prevent any lags from over-clapping, sometimes it lead to the slightly awkward situation where the audience wanted to clap (or give an enthusiastic woo-hoo as my seatmate did a few times) yet the show is going on without a break. More awkward was the tone shifts of sweet, lovely ballads barely having finished jumping into a raucous, upbeat song. It was a bit of a smash cut of emotional whiplash, although this only occurred a few times.
On a personal note, there was one small thing that stuck out to me about the show, and there’s nothing really to be done. There’s a joke that if you stop 100 Canadians on the street, and ask them what the best Tragically Hip song was, you’ll get 100 different answers. With a musical repertoire spanning 23 albums (not counting ‘best of’ records), I think we’re in the same situation with Lightfoot’s music. Even just to do a show with his singles (46 of them) would not be feasible. But, as a Lightfoot fan I left just a little disappointed that my favorite song was not featured.
As always, the Belfry elevates the technical aspects of their shows, and this is no exception! The stage is moody, rundown, but with the greenery of Lightfoot’s Ontario nature peeking through. It’s a visually striking set with so much texture and room to play. From the perspective of the sound mixing, I have to give so much credit to the technical staff. With so many instruments, performers walking and playing, layered harmonies and belted out solos, the sound was perfectly mixed. This is such a critically important part of a music show and is often overlooked, I have seen so many instances where it doesn’t go right and can significantly affect the whole performance.
This show invites us to take time, sit back, relax, and enjoy the music of one of Canada’s greatest musical treasures. With an impressive repertoire of music, anyone who loves Gordon Lightfoot’s music, or just a great night of music overall will have a great time with this one!
If You Could Read My Mind: Songs of Gordon Lightfoot plays at the Belfry until May 25th, 2025.
Disclaimer: I received free tickets to the show as a result of other volunteer work I do. No review was expected or requested.
